At the Beach--Part 1

We were on the road by 5:30 on Sunday morning to begin our week-long vacation at the beach. :) The trip was uneventful, and we spent the rest of the day just getting settled into the house and relaxing--it is amazing how much STUFF we brought along! Vacationing with a baby definitely changed our packing list this year. Today we headed out to our favorite 4-wheel drive section, anxious to see what Ryder would think of the sand and water. He seemed to enjoy it at first and even took a nice "lap nap" under the shade of the umbrella with me. Despite lathering sunscreen on him three different times, his arms, legs, and face turned as red as a lobster. I was afraid he was getting a sunburn, and he was covered in sand from head to toe, which seemed to irritate him even more. We decided to call it a day, and by the time we got back to the house his color had returned to normal. My hot-blooded little guy had just gotten too warm--thankfully no sunburn! Before heading back to the beach tomorrow, I think we will buy a small inflatable kiddy pool for him to splash around in since he can't exactly swim in the ocean yet.

Ryder saying "hi" to Kendall

Ryder was squeezing Kendall's cheeks even though it looks more like an eye-gouging!

taking his bath in the big bathtub--he sits up so well now!

Christine and Nick

Good morning, Kendall!

Ryder meets the ocean

Ryder's first swing ride! He loved it and smiled the whole time. :)

A Super-Duper Playdate

Ryder and I got together with my college roommates (Kathryn, Laura, and Amy) and their kids this weekend for a fun "reunion" of sorts. Laura and Amy hadn't met Ryder yet, so it was fun to introduce him to them and their little ones, who range in age from 11 months to 3 years old. Laura was gracious enough to offer her home as a meeting spot, and we all had a wonderful time. The kids played well together, and it was great for us girls to catch up.  It's a shame we don't live close enough to have these playdates more often!

Jake (11 months) crawling towards Ryder

Amy and her boys (Michael and Jake)

Ryder, Griffin, and Claire

Ryder, Claire, Griffin, Michael, and Jake

(There was no way we were going to be able to get everyone to look in the same direction at the same time, so we plopped them on the couch and just started taking pictures!)

Ryder loved Claire's long curly hair, and Claire enjoyed tickling Ryder. Here she was saying, "Tada!"

love those big brown eyes!

Ryder LOVED this toy! He was pushing buttons, watching the lights, and gazing at his reflection in the mirror. He also tried pulling himself up on it--Laura said this is how Claire first learned to stand up! I am now on the hunt to find this exact toy because he was so entertained by it. :)

Ryder: 7 month photo shoot

Another month has flown by! Why can't the school year pass by as quickly as the summer does???
Here are some updates on our little man--it's amazing how much he changes in one month's time!

1.  He loves being in his walker and running over anything in his path. He goes forwards, backwards, and maneuvers turns very well! (Take a look at what finally happened to my flowers! They have officially been moved out of reach).

"Um, Mommy? I think we may have a problem..."

2. He makes a noise that sounds like "hey" when he sees the dogs walk by or if someone smiles and says "hi" to him.

3. He has begun biting my shoulder when I'm holding him, and he leaves teeth marks! It usually happens when he's really tired or hungry, so it begins as a sweet, innocent snuggle and ends with me screaming and trying to pry his face off of my shoulder. He then looks at me and grins.

4. He still loves to eat! He has added small pieces of bread and crackers to his repertoire.

5. On a few occasions he has tried pulling himself up, using a large toy as his "anchor". I'm really starting to believe he may skip the crawling stage altogether!

Aloha!

Andrew and Ryder decided to be twins yesterday when we ran our errands--Hawaiian shirts and khaki shorts. :)

He really wasn't angry and scowling here. The flash was so bright that he kept squinting each time Andrew snapped a picture!

Stop and smell the roses

Ryder gets into everything now that he can tear around the house in his walker. Just in the last couple of days I've had to say "no" to him for the following:

• playing with the dog food bag and trying to get to the dogs' food and water bowls
• grabbing a leaf on the plant that's in the corner of our dining room and attempting to put it in his mouth
• figuring out that pulling on my apron will open the cabinet door
• reaching for a cord plugged into the wall (It has now been moved!)
• trying to pull open the drawers on our DVD chest

Here is a variety of pictures from the last two days.

"playing" with Mommy's silk flowers

peeking in his bin for some more toys

"I see one!"

"Maybe I will find more if I put my whole head in the bin."

Bye Bye, Bumbo

It's official--Ryder is too big and too squirmy to sit in his bumbo chair. I don't put him in it often because he is sitting so well on his own, but I keep it in our bedroom and occasionally I'll plop him in it while I'm trying to get ready for the day. The last couple of days he's made me a bit nervous because he's been twisting to one side or the other while reaching for something. I've been putting one of my feet across his lap, almost like a seat belt, so he won't twist himself right out of the chair. (This makes doing my hair and makeup difficult, trying to balance on one leg while extending the other across Ryder's lap!) Today he pulled a new stunt--arching his back until he clears the center "crotch piece" that's intended to hold him in. I guess he's decided he is not a baby and doesn't need help sitting up anymore. Farewell, bumbo!